François Couperin: Tic toc choc

Featuring

Alexandre Tharaud
Pablo Pico
François Couperin
Jacques Duphly

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Compositional Technique

Couperin replaced traditional dance suites with 'ordres,' a term unique to him, arranging pieces to convey moods, portraits, or scenes through evocative titles.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Couperin's artistic philosophy, "I will freely admit that I much prefer that which touches me to that which surprises me," reveals his profound sensibility and depth.

Interpretation

Pianist Alexandre Tharaud used re-recording to play all the parts himself in Couperin's Muséte de Taverni, a piece typically requiring multiple performers.

Composer Biography

François Couperin, born into a prestigious musical family in 1668, became an organist at the royal chapel in Versailles by 1693 and taught harpsichord to the royal children.

Cultural Impact

Couperin's music inspired later composers like Debussy and Ravel, who incorporated elements of his style and even referenced him directly, as seen in Ravel's Le Tombeau de Couperin.

Compositional Technique

Couperin's harpsichord pieces, published in four collections, introduced innovations like 'cross-hands' technique and precise notation for ornaments.

Interpretation

For Couperin's Bruit de guerre, Alexandre Tharaud imagined a side drum part, drawing inspiration from Dandrieu's Caractères de la guerre and 18th-century harpsichords with percussion stops.